Salt and light

Matthew 5 : 13 - 16; 1 Kings 17: 7 - 16

I am on a diet that is really low in salt (that is when I eat at home) and it is not very palatable. Though it is 'good for me', helpful to reduce the load on my kidneys. Salt does enhance the taste of many foods, and in the past, it was used as a preservative. Light is taken for granted these days with bulbs coming on at the flick of a switch. The oil lamps of the past needed tending - the wicks trimmed from time to time and the oil refilled. Jesus used everyday necessities to illustrate the life of a Christian.

What is interesting is that both salt and the oil used for lamps are 'used up' in the giving of flavor, preservation of food and brightness. A life of 'saltiness' and 'emitting light' requires that one be used up in the process. Serving and giving of self - like Jesus who 'came not to be served but to serve'. The OT reading for today is about the widow of Zarephath who gave away the last bit of oil and flour she had, food for herself and her son. In faith, she offered everything to be used up, in a way even trusting her very life into God's hands.

These past couple of months, we have been praying for a friend's young niece who has fourth stage cancer. The news is not good. She is under the care of hospice now. It is very sad when serious illness strikes a young person - I feel even more because my own children are her age. Yet from what my friend says her courageous young niece has fought the illness bravely, with deep trust in God. She has been salt and light to those around her, refusing to give up hope of getting better (the survival rate for this type of cancer is less than 0.5%). She has hoped in the Lord, she has looked unto Him and although I have not seen her personally (she lives abroad) what I hear of her testimony warms my heart. My friend, with other family members, leaves tonight to be with her sister and niece. Salt that does not lose its saltiness and light that does not go out even in the midst of tribulation is what Jesus asks for. Even and especially if the salt and oil are totally spent in the process.